The Former Putnam County Recovery Court Director, Julie Odom indicted on authorizing improper rental assistance.
The recovery courts serve the seven counties of the 13th Judicial District and provide treatment and supervision for non-violent felony offenders with substance abuse issues.
According to the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office, Odom improperly authorized an estimated $8,600 in rental assistance for a participant living with her. This amount included $7,675 paid directly to the participant and $925 paid to a landlord on the participant’s behalf. None of the locations involved were designated as sober living homes, even though program policy allows rent assistance only for licensed sober living facilities that meet specific criteria.
The investigation also found that Odom submitted a falsified invoice, receipt, and rental agreement to the Putnam County Mayor’s Office to support these payments. She used a recovery court’s receipt book to create a false landlord receipt and altered a rental agreement by replacing her own name with the participant’s name so that the participant could receive assistance and reimbursement.
Odom resigned from her position in October 2024. The Putnam County Grand Jury has indicted Odom on three counts of official misconduct, one count of theft over $2,500, one count of criminal simulation, and two counts of forgery.